Uncategorized

September 24, 2009 In Uncategorized

I Do Not Like Green Eggs And Ham

I am hoping someone out there can clear this up for me. 

Why is it that even after you tell someone that you don’t want (because you just don’t), don’t like (maybe because you’ve tried it before and you just don’t like it), can’t eat (maybe because you’re on a diet, allergic, etc.) or have no interest in (because you just don’t) something, they STILL ask you if you’d want to/like to/be interested in “it.”
What part of “No way! Thanks anyway though, I appreciate it”- is foggy or questionable?
I read something a long time ago that talked about the word; but. I can’t remember exactly what the article said, but it essentially stated that if/when you see/read/hear the word “but”, everything written or heard ahead of it gets erased/is basically pointless. 
Example:
“I know you loathe carrots and cold weather, but…”
But what? Suddenly I am going to become Peter Cottontail and hop through gardens eating the orange stuff or want to buy a ski chalet in Aspen and hit the slopes?
Sigh.
No.
No.
No!
This reminds me of a portion of this classic. 
I could not, would not on a boat.
I will not, will not, with a goat.
I will not eat them in the rain.
I will not eat them on a train.
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I will not eat them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them ANYWHERE!
No means no today and it will mean no tomorrow. “But” good try. Thanks for asking yet again. 
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September 23, 2009 In Uncategorized

Nike

I hate being MIA from here and then trying to make excuses as to why, because excuses suck. I will say though, that I have been busy scrambling to find and place to live, help launch a company and put and event series together and dive into/get involved in my community. (Among other things.) With all this I have tried to take a step back and observe my surroundings. Here’s what I have found:

People like to talk about stuff, but not do stuff.
It’s ridiculous.
I can’t say I haven’t been guilty of it at times myself, but overall I think I’ve gotten off my a** and made things happen when I’ve wanted to. I’m not a hero, just a woman who was raised to earn it and do it herself and never expected anyone else to do “it” for me.
I have lived in and spent time several cities at this point in my life. In them I have over-volunteered, been over-involved, been overly-concerned, had a huge bleeding heart. While being/doing these things I’ve met lots of those key community people/business leaders/”important” people as well as been invited to join and participate in, this group and that board of such-and-such. While I have met incredible people, learned immeasurable things and been fortunate to find a mentor or two- I have also found that so many people seem to like to sit around and talk about “making things better” and not actually make things better. 
I had to write about this today because it’s part of the reason I’ve disappeared for a few days. I’ve been trying to take some time and space to have these conversations. I wonder why everyone seems to be so afraid to stand up/dive in and just do it. The common thread in every single conversation I have had in the past week personally and professionally seems to center around a “Yeah! We need to do this and that!” …and then nobody seems to take action. 
Talk is cheap.
Put your money where your mouth is.
Well behaved women rarely make history.
(Insert 9,967,367,912,980 other lines here…)
Give me a task or challenge- I’ll do it. Give yourself a task or challenge- then do it. Let’s all try to practice a lot less sh*t-talking and a lot more doing. We do not live in a place where you are ordered to sit down and shut up- so why are we all sitting down and shutting up? If going after what you want and what you believe in makes you obnoxious- then sign me up for president of the obnoxious club. We’ve got one life. ONE. And the clock is ticking. What are we waiting for?
Thanks for lunch yesterday Malcom. You might not know this, but it was so much more than a good chat about work.
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September 22, 2009 In Uncategorized

This Is Why We Do What We Do

Below is a portion of an email response from a ticket buyer for concerts we are putting on this fall.

People have told us that we are “unrealistic” and will drive ourselves crazy by trying to respond to every ticket sale email confirmation. We don’t listen. We go the extra mile, we work our tails off to treat our “customers” how we’d want to be treated and we still email every single person individually and say thank you for buying a ticket. That’s just how we roll. It takes a lot of time, we’re tired, we do things like miss days of posting on blogs (like I have here:( ) and don’t get to sleep very much, but it is so so worth it when things like this pop in our inbox. We love being “unrealistic.”
Hi Back Diane!

What a pleasant surprise. Not only my two favorite bands, RRE & GPN at what looks like a wonderful venue, but a thank you email from the promoters with a link to a blog that made me feel really good. Don’t get THAT from Ticketmaster.

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September 16, 2009 In Uncategorized

Sleepy Staffers?

Dear Planet fitness,

I’m thinking that because you’re open 24 hours, your staff must have been very tired when putting these words up on your sign. In what seems to be someone’s effort to be cleaver, they’ve confused us. 

Just sign it/no contract?

Huh?
Then again, while on one hand this makes no sense, the other- I stopped, took a photo and now I’m writing about you for lots of people to see. If it’s the case that this is actually a marketing effort- it has worked. Congratulations.
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September 14, 2009 In Uncategorized

Your Way, Right Away

Sweet Flour Bake Shop in Toronto is every kids…well- who am I kidding? It’s any sweet lovers dream. You walk in this place, choose your dough, your mix in(s) and voila! In just two minutes your hot cookie is baked and ready for you to gobble up. 

These Canucks know what’s up. They say you should be able to choose what you want in your cookie and shouldn’t have to wait long to get it. Wow. I think I’m in love. Sweet Flour even takes photos of their “cookie visitors” from all over and posts them on their site. How cool. 
Toronto or bust! I need to meet these people and get myself a double chocolate chunk, M&M…
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